Ireland, in hindsight › Before you go

Before you go

What visitors wish they had booked or done in time, stage by stage. Put in your start date to see when each one is due; ticks stay in this browser.

  1. 3 months before

    • Reserve an automatic early. Manuals dominate rental fleets and the automatics run out22 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Rent an automatic at Shannon: Sixt cars are parked right outside the terminal, no shuttle, and a lane-drift alert helps on the left side. · Fodor's, 2023
      • Pay about $300 extra for an automatic for a week; the Dublin Airport Dollar/Hertz desk system was down so a bus ran to the pickup. · TripAdvisor, 2023
      • Rent the smallest automatic that fits your luggage; manuals are cheaper but stressful with left-side driving. · Blog, 2025
      • Book a compact automatic early; only full-size autos were left, awkward on narrow roads. · TripAdvisor, 2022

      22 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 9 who gave detail.

    • Book rooms far ahead for St Patrick's, school holidays and festival weekends4 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Book accommodation far ahead for St Patrick's weekend; hotels and hostels fill, and agree a meeting point before arrival if wifi is patchy. · Blog, 2017
      • Book Westport lodging far ahead for the folk festival; Thursday and Friday nights stayed available but Saturday sold out. · Fodor's, 2025
      • Book campsites in July and August school holidays; reserving a site every three or four days made the route manageable. · Forum

      4 visitors said this; showing the 3 who gave detail.

    • Book a Skellig Michael landing months ahead. Stay in Portmagee and keep spare days for weather3 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Stay in Portmagee for the Skellig boat and Valentia Island day; B&Bs near Doolin cost 100 euro (~$110) low season. · Blog, 2023
      • Overnight in Portmagee to catch a Skellig Michael landing tour; boats ran despite an overcast, windy day. · TripAdvisor, 2019
      • Skellig Michael trips depend on weather; keep schedule loose. · Blog

      3 visitors said this

  2. 1–2 months before

    • Book Newgrange (Brú na Bóinne) about a month ahead. Or go with a Mary Gibbons tour3 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Take the Mary Gibbons tour for Tara, Knowth and Newgrange; pickup is at the Shelbourne on St Stephen's Green. · TripAdvisor, 2023
      • Book Mary Gibbons for Tara, Knowth and Newgrange; very popular and she is a walking encyclopedia. · TripAdvisor, 2022
      • Pre-book Newgrange, Book of Kells and Blarney Castle. · Blog, 2024

      3 visitors said this

    • Pre-book popular attractions, tours and activities. Titanic, Newgrange, Carrick-a-Rede and horse rides sell out5 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Book hotels and popular tours early; Guinness Storehouse sells out. · Blog
      • Pre-book Titanic Experience, Carrick-a-Rede and Newgrange tickets. · TripAdvisor, 2025
      • Pre-book Titanic Experience in Cobh and arrive early. · Blog

      5 visitors said this; showing the 3 who gave detail.

    • Book a Dingle archaeology tour (Michael's) ahead. The vans fill, and it's excellent even in rain3 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Take Dingle Sea Safari to see Great Blasket seals, dolphins and whales; also Michael's archaeological tour. · TripAdvisor, 2022
      • Do Slea Head on a separate day with Michael's archaeological tour; it was excellent even in the rain. · Rick Steves forum
      • Book Dingle archaeology field trips in advance because the vans fill up. · Rick Steves forum, 2023

      3 visitors said this

  3. 28 days before

    • Book Kilmainham Gaol the moment tickets release, 28 days ahead. They sell out in minutes13 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Book Newgrange a month ahead, plus Kilmainham Gaol and the Book of Kells; reserve Etto and Mr. S in Dublin, which turned away walk-ins. · TripAdvisor, 2024
      • Kilmainham Gaol tickets release 28 days ahead at midnight Irish time and reportedly sell out in minutes; be online. · Blog, 2024
      • Book Kilmainham Gaol the moment tickets release; she had to change dates. The museum café has no air conditioning. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
      • Book Kilmainham Gaol early: tickets release 28 days ahead and sell out fast. It was their trip highlight. · Rick Steves forum, 2026

      13 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 13 who gave detail.

    • Buy Book of Kells tickets ahead. Take an early slot to beat the crowds10 visitors

      Good to know: Since 2024 most of the Long Room's books have been moved out for the Old Library redevelopment; about 20,000 remain in the first bays. Expect partly empty shelves. Trinity's update

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Book Book of Kells ahead and pick the standard ticket for the old library; the digital Experience ticket is underwhelming. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
      • Buy Book of Kells and Long Room tickets the night before for a much shorter queue; Kilmainham Gaol had already sold out. · Blog
      • Book the Book of Kells Experience ticket, which still includes the Long Library despite ongoing restoration. · TripAdvisor, 2026
      • Buy Book of Kells tickets weeks ahead; dates can be changed by emailing them directly. · TripAdvisor, 2023

      10 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 9 who gave detail.

    • Check UK ETA rules before visiting Northern Ireland. There's no border check, just signs3 visitors
      • 3 visitors said this; none added more detail than the headline.

  4. 2 weeks before

    • Book dinner ahead in Galway, Dingle, Westport and Kilkenny. Busy places turn walk-ins away20 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • In Westport book small restaurants like Pantry and Corkscrew and No.8 Tapas a few days ahead; Matt Molloy's and Toby's Bar for pubs. · Fodor's, 2023
      • Eat early at Cava Bodega in Galway (about 5pm) before it fills; the Pie Maker's beef and stout pie was also recommended. · Fodor's, 2018
      • Book dinner at Friends Bistro and The Towers in Westport ahead; The Towers' Killary mussels were excellent. · TripAdvisor, 2022
      • Reserve restaurants even for lunch in Galway; Ard Bia near the Spanish Arch is a top brunch spot. · Rick Steves forum, 2026

      20 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 13 who gave detail.

    • Book an early Guinness Storehouse slot. Save the Gravity Bar for a clear day4 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Guinness Storehouse 4:30 slot was packed; go earlier. Kilmainham Gaol 1:45 tour guide Adam was praised. · TripAdvisor, 2022
      • Go to the Guinness Storehouse top floor on a sunny day; in gloomy weather the view is minimal. · Rick Steves forum
      • Arrive early at Guinness Storehouse; buy Kilmainham Gaol tickets before the trip. · TripAdvisor, 2023
      • Pre-book Guinness and Jameson timed tickets from home. · TripAdvisor, 2025

      4 visitors said this

    • Book Irish Rail and intercity coaches online ahead. Cheaper fares and a guaranteed seat13 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Book Irish Rail tickets online for a guaranteed seat; your name shows above it. Dublin to Belfast from Galway needs a station change. · TripAdvisor, 2023
      • Trains were all on time; the Belfast to Dublin run takes about two hours. Pre-book buses and private tours since they sell out. · Rick Steves forum, 2025
      • Book Dublin to Galway buses online for a few euro less; popular routes fill and Limerick connections can mean hours waiting. · Blog, 2026
      • Book Bus Eireann Dublin to Galway online early at about 15 euro (~$16); the train costs roughly double and cheap seats sell out. · Blog, 2025

      13 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 12 who gave detail.

    • Confirm every booking directly before you arrive. Reservations went missing3 visitors
      • 3 visitors said this; none added more detail than the headline.

  5. The week before

    • Get an eSIM or local SIM (Three, Vodafone, about €20, ~$22 a month). Coverage is patchy in the west14 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Buy a 30-day Vodafone SIM in Ireland; she paid 20 euro (~$22) for 26GB, which also worked across the EU. · Blog, 2024
      • Expect slow hotel and Airbnb Wi-Fi (about 1 to 5 Mbps); a local 5G SIM gave 10 to 20 Mbps. · Blog, 2025
      • Expect patchy coverage in Connemara, west Kerry and Donegal. · Blog
      • Grafton Street eSIM worked; ignore suspicious billing texts. · TripAdvisor

      14 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 11 who gave detail.

    • Download offline maps and carry a paper road atlas. Signal and signposting both fail12 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Download offline maps (maps.me) before leaving; turn-by-turn works in airplane mode and was more reliable than Google for hiking trails. · Fodor's, 2023
      • Save every destination as a Google Maps favourite before leaving home; they appear without a local SIM and let you walk to each stop. · Blog, 2025
      • Waze guided the whole road trip flawlessly; carry an Ordnance Survey Discovery 1:50,000 paper map as backup. · TripAdvisor, 2024
      • Carry a paper map for Donegal's narrow lanes; the group got lost and had to buy one at a petrol station. · Blog, 2015

      12 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 5 who gave detail.

    • Tell your bank you're travelling and bring a backup card. Always pay in euro, not dollars5 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Refuse dynamic currency conversion at the rental counter; being billed in USD cost about $76 extra. · TripAdvisor, 2023
      • Bring a backup payment card; some American cards were declined first time in Northern Ireland. · Blog, 2025

      5 visitors said this; showing the 2 who gave detail.

    • Bring two or more Type G (UK-style) plug adapters. Most chargers need no converter10 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Choose adapters with UK plug and USB sockets. · TripAdvisor
      • Pack a Type G adapter and waterproof jacket. · Blog

      10 visitors said this; showing 2 of the 5 who gave detail.

    • Check event calendars and bank holidays. Races, rallies, festivals and matches fill towns and jam roads14 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Early March overlaps US spring break, so flights, bus tours and Aran hikes were packed with students; avoid break weeks for quiet. · Blog, 2023
      • During a big golf tournament weekend, avoid Kilkee and drive around Limerick to reach Doolin; expect slowdowns and full B&Bs. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
      • Cong was buzzing during Mayo's All-Ireland hurling win; checking match days lets you catch the atmosphere in local pubs. · Rick Steves forum, 2026
      • Avoid Clifden during the Connemara Pony Show; one light took about 20 minutes and parking was impossible. · Fodor's, 2023

      14 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 12 who gave detail.

  6. Arrival day

    • Beat jet lag by staying awake on arrival day. Keep day one light7 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Spend first night near Dublin Airport to recover from jet lag. · TripAdvisor, 2024

      7 visitors said this; showing the 1 who gave detail.

    • Don't drive straight off the overnight flight. Do Dublin first and collect the car after9 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Take Bus Eireann to Kilkenny and rent a car there, since Enterprise and Europcar both have town offices; avoid driving after the flight. · Rick Steves forum
      • After a 6am landing, a cab to Limerick station then train to Dublin was easy and avoided driving jet-lagged. · Rick Steves forum

      9 visitors said this; showing 2 of the 3 who gave detail.

    • From Dublin Airport take Dublin Express, Aircoach or the 16 bus. Much cheaper than a €30–40 (~$32–43) taxi10 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Take the Dublin Airport Express bus (about 10 euro, ~$11) to Wellington Quay and use a visitor Leap card for city buses and trams. · Blog, 2026
      • Airport city bus is about 2 euro (~$2) but slow with little luggage room; the express coach, about 16 euro (~$17), is more comfortable. · TripAdvisor, 2026
      • Dublin Express coach back to the airport beat the local bus, which was clean but slow with traffic crawling in places. · TripAdvisor, 2026
      • Take the Aircoach from Dublin Airport; the stop is right outside and tickets can be bought at the stand or on board. · TripAdvisor, 2023

      10 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 10 who gave detail.

    • Buy a Leap Visitor Card (1, 3 or 7 days). It covers Dublin buses, Luas and DART9 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Leap Visitor Card from a shop outside departures came preloaded for 24 hours, no top-up needed; check whether it covers outer zones. · TripAdvisor, 2026
      • Buy a Leap card from a shop outside the airport terminal; the card costs about 5 euro (~$5) and the deposit is refundable at the airport. · TripAdvisor, 2026
      • Buy Leap cards before travelling; they work on city buses and trains in Dublin and elsewhere, saving fumbling with change. · Blog, 2025
      • Buy a Leap card for Dublin and tap on and off the Luas; short hops get a small discount. Book Irish Rail tickets ahead. · Rick Steves forum, 2026

      9 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 9 who gave detail.

  7. Going home

    • Allow three hours at Dublin Airport going home. US preclearance is slow, but you skip customs on landing10 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Allow 3 hours for Ryanair bag drop and security out of Dublin; bag drop queue was 30 minutes and security about an hour. · TripAdvisor, 2022
      • For a 1:15pm flight home, leave the Dublin hotel around 9am; US Preclearance at Dublin Airport adds time. · Blog, 2022
      • Fly home from Dublin or Shannon, which have US Customs preclearance, so you skip customs on arrival. · Forum, 2024
      • US preclearance at Dublin T2 took about 90 minutes including a 30-minute wait; arrive very early. · TripAdvisor, 2022

      10 visitors said this; showing 4 of the 8 who gave detail.

    • Claim your VAT refund. Keep receipts and get the forms stamped before you fly3 visitors

      From visitors' trip reports

      • Drop VAT refund envelope before US Customs. · TripAdvisor, 2026

      3 visitors said this; showing 1 of the 3 who gave detail.